Tips for Avoiding C-Section During Birth

If you are pregnant and you don't want a C-section, here

are some tips.

I saw this post by Dr. Bill Shun, who is an OBGYN of 20-plus

years. I very much admire him, and I wanted to talk about this post

that I saw

because I think it's so good. First off, he said, "Choose your provider like it's a

life decision because it is." Choosing your provider is the most important

decision you will make about your birth, period.

A doula, not birth course provider.

Ask what their C-section rate is, ask what their induction rate is,

and ask who

will be delivering your baby. Will it actually be your doctor, or

are they a part

of a rotation? If they get weird about these questions,

get the heck out

of there. Avoid induction unless it is medically necessary.

Ask your provider, is this for scheduling purposes, or

is this for actual safety?

Due date is not a medical reason to induce.

Evidence-based birth is an amazing resource for this.

Comment link below and I can send you the link for

that article. It's amazing.

Number three, don't get to the hospital too early.

I love how he says this.

The moment that you walk into the hospital, the clock starts.

Do your research around this. Stay home as long as you can stand it.

3-1-1 rule is a really great rule here.

You want your contractions to be three minutes apart, lasting over one minute,

and

have that pattern lasting for more than one hour. Then go to the hospital.

Number four, move your body. Lying on your back with an epidural is the

best way to end up labeled failure to progress,

which is the hospital term saying

that basically you didn't dilate quickly enough for their timeline.

The best thing you can do is to move your body. Change positions.

There are options with epidural, like flipping side to side with the peanut

ball or

turning on backwards and hanging on the back of the bed.

You want to use gravity, you want to use movement,

because without movement,

dilation is much, much harder. Number five, avoid Pitocin and breaking

your water. You could do a whole video on risk of

Pitocin, but breaking of your

waters is often given as a natural option to progress labor.

Here's why you don't want to do that.

When the cervix is dilating, the bag of waters sitting on top of

that cervix is an

even cushion between the baby's head and the cervix.

So when baby's moving down with those contractions, that whole full bag of

waters is the most even pressure to actually dilate the cervix the best.

When you have baby's head pushing on the cervix, malpositioning can become

possible, and it makes contractions a lot more

uncomfortable.

Ask your provider, "Why do you want to break my waters?

What is the benefit?

What is the risk? What if we don't?" This is obviously a plug.

Hire a doula.

I love what I get to do because I get to protect your space to make decisions.

That is how I see my job. Make sure that nobody's making decisions for you

and that

you have all the information that you want.

I'm there to be a grounding force for you, hold you when things get tough, help

your partner know what to do next in order to support you.

Doulas are strategic, and statistically, they lower your risk of C-section.

Number seven, labor down. When they say that your cervix

is fully dilated and

they're like, "Let's push." No. Wait until you have the urge to push.

There's usually a period of time where baby is moving down through your pelvis,

navigating the different ways that baby's head needs to move to make it

through

your pelvis, and it takes time. Just because you're fully dilated does not

mean

that baby is ready to come out. This is called laboring down.

I love this last slide. It is not about avoiding hospital.

It's not about avoiding doctor. It is about being informed.

Remember, this birth is your birth. You are not a patient, you are a mother.

They do not allow you to do things. You have hired them to help you birth this

baby. Own it. Walk in your power. Trust your body. You got this.